Busting Poachers with a Jackhammer

I heard a news piece this morning about “Operation Jackhammer”. Interesting which “harvesting” techniques are legal vs. illegal. What’s fair or unfair in the practice of hunting? In this case it is night-hunting with lights.

The investigation, dubbed “Operation Jackhammer,” focused on the illegal taking of deer by use of artificial light – a practice commonly known as “deer jacking.” This involves night hunting where poachers shine a spotlight on a deer feeding in fields to “freeze” the animal long enough to shoot it — killing deer when they are most vulnerable. Typically, deer jacking occurs in remote rural areas, late at night. Due to these late hours and secluded areas, there are few, if any, witnesses to this crime.

It seems “102 misdemeanors and 37 violations were filed in the Adirondack Park and surrounding North Country.” While the notion of what is “fair” for the deer is debatable, I totally agree with the safety issue.

“DEC takes seriously the crime of nighttime deer poaching for many reasons – safety, foremost,” said Henry Hamilton, DEC Assistant Commissioner for Public Protection. “Deer jacking involves someone firing off a high-powered rifle in the dark, not knowing what or who is behind their target. Sometimes, it involves shooting across roads. But also, poachers typically trespass across private lands, violate hunting ethics and rob legitimate hunters of opportunities.”

I wonder what the motive is behind these illegal hunts? Is it for fun? Are they putting food on their tables?

How about those decoy/robot deer that get shot up, placed there by law enforcement to catch scofflaw hunters? If someone can’t tell the difference between a live animal and an animated statue, they shouldn’t be playing with guns.